When the bondes' men and array were drawn up the lendermen addressed the men, and ordered them to take notice of the place to which each man belonged, under which banner each should be, who there were in front of the banner, who were his side-men, and that they should be brisk and quick in taking up their places in the array; for the army had still to go a long way, and the array might be broken in the course of march.Then they encouraged the people; and Kalf invited all the men who had any injury to avenge on King Olaf to place themselves under the banner which was advancing against King Olaf's own banner.They should remember the distress he had brought upon them; and, he said, never was there a better opportunity to avenge their grievances, and to free themselves from the yoke and slavery he had imposed on them.
"Let him," says he, "be held a useless coward who does not fight this day boldly; and they are not innocents who are opposed to you, but people who will not spare you if ye spare them."Kalf's speech was received with loud applause, and shouts of encouragement were heard through the whole army.
236.OF THE KING'S AND THE BONDES' ARMIES.
Thereafter the bondes' army advanced to Stiklestad, where King Olaf was already with his people.Kalf and Harek went in front, at the head of the army under their banners.But the battle did not begin immediately on their meeting; for the bondes delayed the assault, because all their men were not come upon the plain, and they waited for those who came after them.Thorer Hund had come up with his troop the last, for he had to take care that the men did not go off behind when the battlecry was raised, or the armies were closing with each other; and therefore Kalf and Harek waited for Thorer.For the encouragement of their men in the battle the bondes had the field-cry -- "Forward, forward, bondemen!" King Olaf also made no attack, for he waited for Dag and the people who followed him.At last the king saw Dag and his men approaching.It is said that the army of the bondes was not less on this day than a hundred times a hundred men.Sigvat the skald speaks thus of the numbers: --"I grieve to think the king had brought Too small a force for what he sought:
He held his gold too fast to bring The numbers that could make him king.
The foemen, more than two to one, The victory by numbers won;And this alone, as I've heard say, Against King Olaf turned the day."237.MEETING OF THE KING AND THE BONDES.
As the armies on both sides stood so near that people knew each other, the king said, "Why art thou here, Kalf, for we parted good friends south in More? It beseems thee ill to fight against us, or to throw a spear into our army; for here are four of thy brothers."Kalf replied, "Many things come to pass differently from what may appear seemly.You parted from us so that it was necessary to seek peace with those who were behind in the country.Now each must remain where he stands; but if I might advise, we should be reconciled."Then Fin, his brother, answered, "This is to be observed of Kalf, that when he speaks fairly he has it in his mind to do ill."The king answered, "It may be, Kalf, that thou art inclined to reconciliation; but, methinks, the bondes do not appear so peaceful."Then Thorgeir of Kviststad said, "You shall now have such peace as many formerly have received at your hands, and which you shall now pay for."The king replies, "Thou hast no occasion to hasten so much to meet us; for fate has not decreed to thee to-day a victory over me, who raised thee to power and dignity from a mean station."238.BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE OF STIKLESTAD.
Now came Thorer Hund, went forward in front of the banner with his troop, and called out, "Forward, forward, bondemen!"Thereupon the bondemen raised the war-cry, and shot their arrows and spears.The king's men raised also a war-shout; and that done, encouraged each other to advance, crying out, "Forward, forward, Christ-men! cross-men! king's men!" When the bondes who stood outermost on the wings heard it, they repeated the same cry; but when the other bondes heard them they thought these were king's men, turned their arms against them, and they fought together, and many were slain before they knew each other.The weather was beautiful, and the sun shone clear; but when the battle began the heaven and the sun became red, and before the battle ended it became as dark as at night.King Olaf had drawn up his army upon a rising ground, and it rushed down from thence upon the bonde-army with such a fierce assault, that the bondes'
array went before it; so that the breast of the king's array came to stand upon the ground on which the rear of the bondes' array had stood, and many of the bondes' army were on the way to fly, but the lendermen and their house-men stood fast, and the battle became very severe.So says Sigvat: --"Thundered the ground beneath their tread, As, iron-clad, thick-tramping, sped The men-at-arms, in row and rank, Past Stiklestad's sweet grassy bank.
The clank of steel, the bowstrings' twang, The sounds of battle, loudly rang;And bowman hurried on advancing, Their bright helms in the sunshine glancing."The lendermen urged their men, and forced them to advance.
Sigvat speaks of this: --
"Midst in their line their banner flies, Thither the stoutest bonde hies: